Tata Motors is all set to make a big splash at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, which will be held in March. The automaker will unveil not one, not two but four new cars, all of them having a production future of some sort. Here are all the details.
The cars that Tata Motors will showcase at Geneva will include the H7X 7 seat SUV (the Harrier’s big brother), the Hornbill micro SUV, a near-production version of the 45X premium hatchback, and also an electric version of the 45X. Of these cars, at least three of them are slated for production shortly.
45X
The Tata 45X will be the first to reach production. By the festive season of 2019, the premium hatchback that will challenge the likes of the Maruti Baleno and the Hyundai Elite i20 will be launched. The 45X will be based on the Advanced Modular Platform, which Tata Motors now calls Alpha. This platform, which will underpin many new Tata cars in future is the automaker’s take on Volkswagen MQB platform.
The 45X is expected to be offered with turbocharged petrol and diesel engines, which could possibly be borrowed from the Nexon. 6 speed manual gearboxes are likely to be offered with both engines, and Tata could debut a twin clutch AMT unit at a later date. The car will be feature loaded, and the largest hatchback that Tata Motors has ever launched.
45X Electric
The electric version of the Tata 45X will be showcased as a concept at Geneva, but with a production future in mind. Electric cars are likely to become big come 2020, and the 45X Electric could be one of the cars that Tata Motors has in mind when it shifts to electric vehicles.
H7X
Render courtesy IAB
Tata Motors is working on a 7 seat version of the Harrier, which will have the same wheelbase as the Harrier but with a longer body and an extra row of seats. The 7 seat Harrier is just months away from launch, and is expected to make it to the market by the end of 2019.
It’ll use the OMEGA platform of the Harrier, and the 2 liter turbocharged diesel engine. The engine will make higher power and torque though, at 170 Bhp-380 Nm. The 6 speed manual gearbox will be carried over, and a 6 speed Hyundai sourced torque converter automatic will alo be on offer.
Hornbill
Tata Motors is working on a micro SUV that will rub shoulders with the likes of the Mahindra KUV100, and possibly even the Maruti Ignis. Called the Hornbill for now, the micro SUV will be based on the Alpha platform. It will sit below the Nexon in terms of price and positioning, as Tata Motors’ cheapest SUV offering. The Hornbill is expected to share its engines and gearboxes with the 45X premium hatchback. The car is expected to get butch yet funky styling elements. It’ll be launched in India sometime in 2020.
Via ACI
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